On November 14, 2007 our healthy and athletic son was diagnosed with advanced stage IV Burkit’s Lymphoma and Leukemia. This blog is a journal of his courageous journey as he battled this aggressive cancer. With the grace of God and the help of an incredible community, Tyler went into remission in August, 2009. He is now a strong and healthy student at The Ohio State University.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Will Ellis

Will celebrates his 15th birthday tomorrow, February 11th. Please do me a favor. Go to his site and wish him a happy birthday. It always lifts the spirit to see comments added from people all around. For Tyler we have received comments and emails from almost every state and 18 other countries. It is always exciting to still read those messages.

Will has left the hospital and is now at home. Will is old enough to understand what is going on, so his parents choose to review his options with him. As a family, they have decided not to seek further treatment beyond pain control. Will was diagnosed at 8 years old, and has now been fighting this cancer for half of his life.

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Willis mom wrote:

We had talks with Will that no parent ever dreams they will have with their child. But he has always been old beyond his years, and once the offer of this new trial drug was put before him, we felt he deserved to help decide if he wanted to participate. We have all decided not to do this chemo. Will is so tired of being sick from chemo, and this is not offered as a 'magic bullet' that can cure, but as help with pain control. We will continue to manage his pain through several means, including radiation if he has a site that becomes unbearable. I have become so tired of 'poisoning' Will with these drugs that make him so sick, and I thought I would feel relief that he also wanted to stop. It was by no means a relief. It has been a horrible week, full of regret, sorrow, and grief that we feel we have begun the end of this journey that life threw at Will. It is so completely unfair, and we may never wrap our heads around the 'WHY?' of it all. Those of you who know Will, know that he is such an easy going kid. He has not ever blamed anyone for what he has been through. He has a strength in him that amazes me, I just can't even begin to believe his acceptance and poise throughout everything he has been through.

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I do not share these things about our friends hoping you will cry. I do so hoping you will act. It might be running a marathon for cancer funding or just sending a Happy Birthday card. It might be visiting a sick child or becoming a bone marrow donor. You decide that. Just do something.

And I share this to remind you of the value of being with those you love, the value of being together just one more day. Do not take it for granted.